diff --git a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/util/AtomicFile.java b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/util/AtomicFile.java
index 74e50dfd92..07a8b0a88a 100644
--- a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/util/AtomicFile.java
+++ b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/util/AtomicFile.java
@@ -108,8 +108,9 @@ public final class AtomicFile {
     } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
       File parent = baseName.getParentFile();
       if (parent == null || !parent.mkdirs()) {
-        throw new IOException("Couldn't create directory " + baseName, e);
+        throw new IOException("Couldn't create " + baseName, e);
       }
+      // Try again now that we've created the parent directory.
       try {
         str = new AtomicFileOutputStream(baseName);
       } catch (FileNotFoundException e2) {